COUNCIL CRACKDOWN ON ACCOMMODATION
OWNERS of properties used for short-term letting on the Gold Coast already face significantly higher costs in terms of different rates bills.
Rules vary depending based on zoning but a Material Change of Use application must be submitted in most cases, which costs thousands. Higher rates also apply.
In June, Brisbane City Council introduced a new rating category which meant owners of properties listed for short-term rental for more than 60 days a year would pay 50 per cent higher rates.
“With the rental vacancy rate at record lows, it’s incredibly hard for tenants to find affordable places to live with six or 12-month leases,” Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.
“The short-term rental trend, facilitated by wellknown booking apps, removes homes from the long-term rental market. To be clear, this contributes to supply shortages and increasing housing costs.”
The NSW government has also taken steps to limit the amount of housing listed by sites such as Airbnb, earlier this year introducing a 180day cap across the state.
AirDNA data suggests the measure has already had some effect, with listings in Sydney dropping 22 per cent in the last year despite the reopening of borders.
Byron Shire Council intends to go further, with plans for a 90-day cap in most areas which they hope would see hundreds of homes returned to the rental market.
Mayor Michael Lyon said the move was “about returning properties in key residential areas to the long-term letting pool by sett-ing caps on how many days properties will be able to be rented out for holiday accommodation”.
“The more rental accommodation for holiday letting, the less stock is there for people looking for longterm, secure housing," he said.
“It is also important we can give our communities some confidence the house or unit next door, in their quiet residential area, will not have a continual turnover of holiday-makers …”
Most restrictions, such as those in NSW, are likely to be discussed at the state’s government’s housing summit.